(1) On the registration of a fishing vessel the Registrar of Ships shall allocate to that vessel a combination and sequence of letters and numerals (hereinafter called the “identity mark”) which the Registrar of Ships shall cause to be entered in the register book.
(2) The same letters and identity mark of a registered fishing vessel shall not be allocated to any other fishing vessel.
(3) Every registered fishing vessel shall display the identity mark allocated to that fishing vessel under this section on each side of that vessel's bow and shall show the Port of Registry on the stern.
(4) The master and owner of a fishing vessel which displays an identity mark not allocated to that vessel under this section commits an offence.